New Scientist

First week of life seems critical for future allergy and eczema risk Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 The mainstream view is that there are no particularly crucial phases in the development of the immune system, but a study of hundreds of infants suggests otherwise

Brain area discovered that may be critical for viable pregnancies Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:00:00 +0000 A newly discovered part of the brain is essential for successful embryo implantation in mice. It may help to explain why some pregnancies and IVF attempts fail

Read an extract from Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:15:00 +0000 In the opening to Emily St. John Mandel's new novel Exit Party, the October read for the New Scientist Book Club, we are introduced to Los Angeles in 2031, as a curfew lifts from the city

Will the backlash against AI data centres hit quantum computing too? Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 To succeed at scale, quantum computing must differentiate itself from AI, says columnist Karmela Padavic-Callaghan. But the two technologies are already mixed up in the eyes of the public

I am a top drone pilot in the Ukrainian Army – this is what it is really like Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Kratos is the call sign of one of the leading drone pilots in Ukraine. As part of the Aquila regiment, 3rd Army Corps, he has taken down almost 1000 enemy drones

Earth’s geographic poles wander more than we had thought Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:00:00 +0000 A phenomenon known as true polar wander, different to the movement of the magnetic poles, may be more common and more dramatic than previously known

Ukraine rolls out drone-stopping razor fence to thwart attacks Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:00:00 +0000 Most of the drones being used by Russia in the war with Ukraine are controlled by cables several tens of kilometres long. A new defensive tool cuts the cables to stop the drones

Elephants imitate each other when they produce deep rumbling sounds Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000 African savannah elephants use a variety of calls to communicate, and now machine learning has shown that they tune their deepest sounds to match those of other nearby elephants

Placenta wrap hastens erection recovery after prostate surgery Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:00 +0000 Dried amniotic membranes from donated placentas can be wrapped around delicate nerves during prostate cancer surgery to hasten the time to a first erection after the procedure

The best popular-science books of October 2026 Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:15:00 +0000 With a new book from the late primatologist Frans de Waal and a deep dive into artificial intelligence from New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose, there is some hard-hitting popular science to look forward to this month – with added Pokémon, says Liz Else